The Daybreak Research Facility
Gamemaster's Note: This adventure is different from other Shadowrun missions. It's structured like a T.V. Show of all things, and its not broken down into plot points. Remember, just because it's structured like a T.V. Show, does not mean that you have to get the same timing as a T.V. Show. It takes many editors to get the timing right in a show, and you, nor your gaming group, has that luxury. Overview The shadow runners are hired by Simon Andrews to get into the Daybreak Research Facility, a research lab owned by Shiawase Atomics. The purpose is that Simon Andrews says that his employer wants to know what is going on in the research lab's basement. He also wants the shadow runners to procure Nicola Tesla's notebooks. Since the lab is owned by the Shiawase Corporation one can expect some resistance. But still, some players might think of it as a milk run. It's not, really. The security in actuality is heavily fortified. It's led by a troll that is heavily cybered up and has some Military experience. Plot Structure The structure is broken down into segments rather than into plot points. Although each segment can be treated as a plot point by GMs. Teaser The Shadowrunners are contacted by Simon Andrews over the Matrix via electronic mail. His familiar (or unfamiliar) icon shows up on screen, with the handle of LizMage. That of a lizard man from Soul Caliber. If anyone opens the message it reads as follows. -- I have a job for you to do. My employer is very interested in knowing what is going on in the Shiawase Daybreak Facility. He wants you to go into the facility, get to the basement and to make a simsense recording of what is going on down there. He also wants you to procure any notebooks of value. * LizMage Shadowrunners who respond professionally to Simon Andrews gets the following as a response: -- You can meet me at A Little Bit o' Saigon on South Jackson Street and Broadway and we can discuss details. Be prepared to eat, so that you won't look suspicious. If we haven't met before, tell the waitress that Simon Andrews is your party, for I have a table reserved there for tonight. * LizMage 1st Segment Simon Andrews can be found at the fourth table when you enter in. If the Shadowrunners' Face is meeting at a restaurant that demands reservations, he can say that his party -- Simon Andrews -- is waiting for him. The waitress will lead him to the table where Simon is waiting, checking his AR. Once he notices the party, he turns off his AR so he can get right to business. "Ah, so good of you to come, please sit down and order in," he says. "And after the pleasantries, we can discuss business." After the waiter arrives, Simon Andrews orders the Beef Curry with a side of Saigon BBQ'ed pork. The waiter then takes the player character's order and then takes their drinks. Simon is partial to Sprite today, although the PC(s) can take whatever they want. When the meals come, Simon begins. "Well, now we can discuss business. Remember to eat, we look suspicious enough already," he says. "After all, it's not everyday you see a lizardman in downtown Seattle discussing business at a restaurant. Most of the time you see people like me at Dancing Bare on Aurora Avenue. Hmm, this is a fine delicacy. I like Texas brisket, but the spicy South Asian food is really tasty." After the PC asks for specifics he gets right down to it. "My Employer is competing with Shiawase Atomics in the Energy business. And he has heard rumors going on as of late that Shiawase is creating a highly efficient generator of energy." He takes some pork and some beef and continues, "Anyhow, this will take a large chunk of profits from my Employer's profits. We are talking about a 300 billion piggy bank getting smaller. We also found out that recently, that Reiko Shimada procured Tesla's notebooks at an auction at Christie's for 15 million nuyen. Apparently, the UCAS' Federal Bureau of Investigation is in need of some of money." He eats another portion of his meal while he waits for the PC(s) to respond. If the PC wants specifics on the job he says, "Well, it's simple. Go into Shiawase's Daybreak research facility, and find out what is going on in the basement, where we think the research is going on. And if Tesla's notebooks are there, I want you to steal them and bring them to me." 1st Break "What do I want? A simsense recording of what is going on in the basement," he says. "I explained it in my email. Specifics: if Tesla's notebooks are there, they will be in the central vault. And of course, you use an elevator to get down to the basement. I don't care how you get down there, that you and your team just gets down there." Eating another portion, if asked about money he says, "Fifteen thousand nuyen for the job. You will meet some resistance getting down there, so be prepared for a firefight." He then continues finishing his meal. 2nd Segment The Second Segment is all about intelligence gathering and probably procuring the things the PCs need in order to defeat the bad guys. This is legwork. The shadowrunners should do their homework on Shiawase before moving in and getting the job done. This means that the shadow runners should put their Face to work to scam them needed equipment (ammunition and what not), and to scam them a base to work from. The players can also work on their contacts to see what Shiawase is unto and why Shiawase Atomics is so interested in Nikola Tesla's research. The Hacker/Technomancer can also research Nikola Tesla on Aetherpedia, but also risk going to look for some obscure information (Conspiracy Theory stuff). DMs should know that the systems they are digging into will be guarded by some IC, and should make them worth it to get pay dirt. 2nd Break The Shadowrunners should have enough equipment to scout out Shiawase to find out how strong they are. This is the last part of the legwork. Here they can check out the security of the place and to see what is going on. Security will be low when the Shadowrunners scout out the research facility. Two men will be guarding the main door, and every once in a while, Lurtz comes out. There is a guard posted at every door. 3rd Segment Ideally, the third segment is where everything starts to go down and the team infiltrates the facility according to their individual plans. However they carry out their plan, the shadowrunners face the opposition when they get past the lobby and into the facility. They meet security teams in the computer room and in some of the offices. The shadowrunners may have to bypass some locks to find out what is going on. The runners may have to face IC in the matrix along with one or two Mahoutsukai. 3rd Break The runners are captured in a lab, and it may be up to their hacker to release the locks. The hacker is up against bypassing the node, which is protected by the AI below. 4th Segment The heroes are released, and they will find the vault where Doctor Nikola Tesla's notebooks are kept in the second lab. The notebooks are found here, written in English. These notes contain aspects of Radiant Energy and plans for a 'death ray' (primitive LASER system). The books were never disseminated on the Matrix because of their top secret status from the public. The books are, ostensibly enough, in prime condition, but kept in an environment with a special atmosphere to prevent further oxidation. The runners are then caught in the gallery, with Shiawase pulling out all of the stops. Even Lurtz gets into the act. If the hacker can bypass the security systems, the team can escape, but they are time locked to survive. But once the runners can get out of there, they will find that they can't get into the basement and the run has been botched. 4th Break Back home, the shadow runners have to have to discuss their options. The heroes have Nikola Tesla's books, which Simon Andrews can pass along to his employer, but can only pay them for part of the job. The rest will come when the job is done. Simon asks what happened, and starts doing his legwork. Whatever is happening at the Shiawase Atomic lab, they don't want anyone in the basement. Locations Daybreak Research Facility (Shiawase Atomics) The Daybreak Research Facility is a three story building with a basement. Here, at this physics laboratory, Shiawase scientists are working on making Atomic power safer and better to use. They are building on the work generated by the Idaho Atomic Energy Research Center near Boise, Idaho. Lately, though, something strange is going on in the basement. To protect the research, the security team has been upgraded. And the "Black Project" is taking place in the basement of the facility. Plans for the Shiawase Atomics are on the right. It's located near the Neptune Trideo Theater on 8th Avenue Northeast. The building is surrounded by laser fencing and there are cameras strategically placed. The area is patrolled by 2 drones. Daybreak Research Facility Matrix Presence The matrix presence at the Research Facility is built on security. While two security technomancers work around the clock to make sure that the matrix presence is secure, the project here is a Black project. So that means extra security. Sculpting: '''The research facility's matrix sculpting makes it look like any other business office, and there are other nodes that look like a drawing room. Most people who log on, though, look like eccentric scientists or aged professors discussing physics equations. Sometimes, the scientists write on the "board" all their physics equations -- which they have copied to their blackboards in their offices. '''Hardware: Saeder-Krupp Schwermetall high-security nexus (Persona Limit 25, Processor Limit 110), and two NeoNET Office Genies (statistics on page 198 of Unwired). Spiders: two security technomancers, and one A.I. (see below) IC: One Yuki-o-na 4 (Rumplestiltskin, see Unwired) (patrolling), one Three Samurai (Three Musketeers) Suite 4 (loaded), 1 Ixcuiname 3 (loaded) 'ARC: '''Scramble the A.I. '''Topology: '''All three nexi are linked together by fiberoptic cables. Each uses decoys to prevent access from one another. People Simon Andrews is setting himself up as a fixer for the Energy War that is going on, and wants to be helpful to the PCs. He works for S&K, but his loyalty is to Lofwyr. He also reports to the dragon directly, acting as his fixer and troubleshooter. Simon Andrews is profiled in ''Artifacts Unbound , page 34. Shiawase Security at the site is identical to the Red Samurai Detachment statistics, except they include a Hermetic Mage that practices Maho. The mahoutsukai is uses the statistics for the combat mage archetype (SR4A, page 99 or in SR5). Also, the Shiawase has two spider agents that are security technomancers (Pro Rating 2, Unwired, ''page 68) prowling the Shiawase nodes. The last person to be profiled is the leader of Shaiwase Security, codenamed Lurtz. Lurtz Lurtz is a Brazilian troll, and his real name is Enrique Rosario. Born some twenty-nine years ago, Lurtz wasn't exactly popular. Sure, he was powerful, but all he could do was work for bullies. It was then than Lurtz joined the army (the Amazonian Army) and worked for the Amazonian Forces against Aztlan. Enrique was injured numerous times in combat, and eventually had to be cybered up with the Super Soldier package to be an effective combatant. When his three tours at the border was over, he went to Seattle as a mercenary and found work at Shiawase. Lurtz has been biologically augmented. His skin has a plastic sheen about it thanks to retroviro-infection to give him orthoskin. He has a stronger heart, biological muscles, and quicker reflexes. GM's ''Note: If Lurtz dies during the 1st run, the GM can burn one of his edge points for Lifegiving, as he figures heavily throughout the campaign. Oni no Kirubi Oni no Kirubi (Kerby's Oni) is the A.I. designed to protect this Shiawase Atomics research facility. It's a Metasapient A.I. that is a rating 6 A.I. It appears to be a man wearing a black mask across his face in the style of a burglar, and a hat. He's also cruel and efficient in dealing with hackers poking around his node. Oni no Kirubi wants to be free, however. Fortunately, he talks both in the Emperor's Japanese and in the King's English. Sources Category:Adventures Category:Missions Category:Shadowrun